Spotlight: County Judge Ed Emmett

Posted by Leigh Evans on August 05, 2015

County Judge Ed Emmett, first elected in 2007 and most recently re-elected in 2014, serves as the Cheif Executive Officer of Harris County. Judge Emmett is responsible for overseeing the county government along with the 4 elected County Commissioners. In 2007, Judge Emmett oversaw the largest tax cut ever approved by Harris County, reducing the ad valorem tax rate by a full penny. Under Judge Emmett's leadership, Harris County has received AAA Bond ratings and is financially sound. Harris County does not face the economic problems that the City of Houston faces, in large part due to the conservative leadership of our County Judge.

Houston Chronicle, July 30-A few months ago Ed Emmett had a breakthrough moment about how to save the Astrodome, a goal he’s been chipping away at for the better part of eight years. The Harris County judge was driving out of the county administration building lot headed straight for the historic 1910 courthouse in downtown, and he thought, “There’s a building we completely re-purposed without bond money.”... His plan has now become the blueprint for a public-private partnership overseen by a conservancy that would unite the city, county, the sports and convention corporation and other governmental entities with private investors to revive the Astrodome without requiring voter approval.Read the full article

Houston Chronicle, July 28- Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to put four bond measures totaling $848 million on the November ballot to address tremendous population growth in Harris County during the past two decades."When you consider that Harris County has more people than 24 states, it really isn't that much," County Judge Ed Emmett said. Approximately 1 million more people now live in the county than in 2000; and 75 percent of those new residents live in the unincorporated portions of the county where government-funded roads and infrastructure projects have had to hustle to catch up with vast commercial and residential development.Read the full article